Answer to Question #151699 in Mechanics | Relativity for Dave Brittain

Question

I have given my son's these kinds of things to ponder since they were little and still like to think of things for them to think about. I thought of this question that we can not agree to an answer on. Here is my question thanks. You have two six foot diameter hollow balls made out of special unheard of metal that does not bend or break. You are able to be beamed into these hollow balls so there is no door. Each has an oxygen supply as well as a seat with seat belts. Both balls are suspended 40 feet above a farmers field. (soil depth before bedrock is 500 feet). Ball A has a total mass of 1000 pounds. Ball B has a total mass of 10,000 Tons. The question is will you have a higher chance of being injured in ball A or ball B or will the odds be the same? Will the extreme mass of ball B act as if the ground was a sponge as it's weight sinks it 20 feet into the ground and cushions the fall? I think a cushion is particularly significant depending on the mass that is being cushioned.

Answer 1

You have a higher chance of being injured in ball B because $M_B\gg M_A.$